G. Love And Special Sauce

piacevole

This is pretty bad, it's basically the backbones for all the worst songs from bands that I like.

Why is this on the list lol. How many great/significant 90s albums got bumped for this.

Oh no. I hated this. Not quite Nick Cave level because I know it takes a lot of weed to be play instruments this way at least, but still really bad. I'll give the producer credit for giving us the St. Anger snare before it was a meme. Real 20 something white trust fund baby with dreads energy in this one.

I guess the laid back bluesy vibe was the point. But I had a hard time looking past the stupid vocals.

I enjoyed the vibe of this. Sort of Gorillas, Cake, funky rap. Very unique, interesting, and well done overall.

If every white band that used funk and soul and hybridized the sound to be edgy and cool had a slot on this list, the list would be much, much longer. I never heard of G. Love & Special Sauce and this sound and time period are in my wheel house. This album sounds like just about all of the edgy early 90s grindy albums and does no better than the popular or successful ones? so why is it here? I don't know, but it's okay. doesn't belong on this list though… 2.5/5

Ik denk oprecht dat ik 1001 albums kan bedenken die je beter kan luisteren dan dit. Tijdens het luisteren dacht ik na een tijdje "Dit zal wel super oud zijn en dat het daarom in de lijst staat?" Maar dit komt uit '94? Er waren toen al rock albums die beter waren, 100en hiphop albums, 100en soul en R&B albums. Is dit album geschreven/gemaakt door de auteur zelf ofzo? Ik kan echt aan niets ontdekken waarom dit op de lijst staat, het is allemaal vrij mwah. Ik irriteer me niet actief, heb zelfs wat nummers als FAVO gemarkeerd, maar jezus... Dit is een ontzettend 13 in een dozijn album. FAVO: Baby's got saucec, Fatman, This ain;t living

Jizz Love is adorably awful, zeitgeist successfully captured! What do you think, S Hugs? And what are *you* sticking in the fridge? Best, M Ass

I heard rumors about how bad this was back in 1994, so have actively avoided it until today. It really takes some cursed skill to make Fun Lovin' Criminals sound inspired. Every track is somehow worse than the previous, and the chief slacker moron's voice gets exponentially more annoying throughout. The casual rap/funk/rock wanker market was well-supplied in the mid-90's, eh?

Kansi ja nimi kertoo kyllä hyvin, mitä on luvassa: vitsiä ja bluesihkoa. On ihan viihdyttävää kuunneltavaa, etenkin kun sanoitukset välillä nappaavat mukaansa. Mutta lopulta jää tyhjänpäiväiseksi.

Valkoinen jäbä haluaa toistaa bluesin hip hopin keinoin. Lopputuloksena miellyttävää musiikkia, joka on samalla täysin merkityksetöntä. Jäbä tarvitsisi hitin (Cold Beverage käy lähimpänä - niin ja olihan siellä se soosibiisi). 2+

Offensive on almost every conceivable level.

Respectfully: what the fuck is this? Beck and Sublime already had enough to answer for but I’m pretty sure this is ultimately their fault.

3.1 2x

At first it reminded me of Beck. Then of coffee shop music. Then a house band, that you'd rather play quieter so you can hear your friends talk, this isn't the band you paid to see anyway. Not for me

Had no idea what to expect, album had a Fun Lovin’ Criminals vibe. I enjoyed it

For me this is ok in small doses. I quite like the schtick but it's just too much all in one go. I can see the appeal to the college crowd for Cold Beverage (and they also mention ice cream!) but for me the standouts were Garbage Man, Shooting Hoops.

Hmmmm, not sure how I feel about this, tbh. Saw another review describe them as "Beck without the weirdness, or Fun Lovin' Criminals without the cringe, or Beastie Boys without the boyish aggression" and yeah, a lot of that rings true. Thing is, though, I loved "Mellow Gold" era Beck, but the weirdness was very much the draw. And I actually found this a bit more cringe than Fun Lovin' Criminals at points - some of his vocal affectations felt way too try hard, whereas FLC are so over the top that kinda thing is more forgivable. Part of the gag. I guess if I'd have been introduced to this in the late 90s I might have been into it, but in 2025 it was a bit of a chore to get through. Didn't actively piss me off, though. Fave tracks - uh, let's say "Blues Music"

There was a time in my life when I would have halfway liked this. I was a college kid occasionally sporting a backward baseball cap, which is who I think this is made for. Now, I just get irked by the slurred sexy pseudo-carefree affect of his vocals. Did it age poorly? Have I gotten old? Have I learned how to spot trust-fund jamming when I see it? We’ll never know. But I do know whatever G Love days I might have had are behind me.

Good album, just a little too long

Hmmmm. Not offensive. Imagine if Cage the Elephant and Sublime had a baby, but their kid wasn't as talented and watched too many yoga mama influencer channels. Maybe that's this. Still, derivative, but ok if it's on while you're doing your weekly grocery shop. That's a two.

Surprised how much I dig it

Eh note really my kinda scene

ok sometimes but mostly not Will I listen to again: 1%

I wonder what the special sauce is.

Enjoyed this but had never heard of it. Reminds me of Beck

I enjoyed this album for never hearing the band before.

Не зашло

Never heard of this group before. The actual blues instrumentation isn't bad and fits the vibe, but the rap-like vocals take some getting used to (update: I never got used to them). Just a strange fusion of genres that kind of overstays its welcome pretty early if I'm being honest. "Baby's Got Sauce" is probably the best track amongst it all. I swear I've heard "Cold Beverage" before too...guess that's the big single from this record.

About 9 tracks too long for comfort

Beck’s “Loser” except it’s a whole album. Not good

The band is loose but tight but the dude’s voice is so bad. It’s insane this is on the list but Sublime isn’t.

Not what I expected. Fun music, but it also strikes me as frat boy music. Not that that's awful, but... 3 stars.

Takes me back to my early 20s. Silly. But good summertime music back then.

This got old a out halfway through.

This one was kind of boring, honestly. Not bad and competently made, but just boring.

It’s no wonder that the only people who have ever recommended G. Love and Special Sauce to me are people who are also really into jam band music. This is the exact type of white boy-blues/funk hybrid that’ll make a jam band fan do the hippy shake after a glass of “spun wine”. In fact, it’s offensive to call this blues or funk. It just sucks. The other day, I said that Leonard Cohen’s “I’m Your Man” was the worst record on this list. I stand corrected.

18/03/25 I have never heard of them before and I enjoyed this album.

I liked the groove, starting from the beginning. I do wish the lyrics were better. It felt like Beastie Boys, but drunker. Lost interest about 2/3 of the way through, which is never good. It felt very same-y to me, so they could have trimmed a few songs off of this. Top tracks: "The Thing That I Used To Do," "Baby's Got Sauce," "Rhyme For The Summertime," "Fatman"

Next. Stoner blues rap. The upright bass was sort of cool but the whole slacker vibe didn't resonate with me. Like sh$ttier Sublime. I guess the sound is unique but I still can't believe an album like this made it on the 1,001 list. Ugh. Still have half the album to listen to.

Cultural. Appropriation. Dude's father was a banking attorney and he went to private school. There's no freakin' way on earth he actually sounds like this. Sure, it's cool enough, but it often made me cringe. I tried to explore why this doesn't bother me for someone like Beck, who G. Love sometimes sounds like - I think it's because Beck introduces a lot of his own stylings and he doesn't sound like a caricature of cultures he doesn't come from. I don't know what the fine line is beyond adapting and advancing (e.g., Led Zeppelin with the blues and the Police with reggae) and outright appropriation (e.g., UB40 with reggae), but I felt this album crossed that line. Tracks I liked, disregarding the cringe: Garbage Man, Cold Beverage.

Bluesey chill grungy vibe with distinct vocal style. Reminds me of "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" by Cage the Elephant. Not bad in isolation but I got tired of one song after the other.

Pretty good marriage of hip hop and indie feel makes for a likeable album that's worthy of investigation. From what I understand this, their debut album is not their best so I will exploring further. 3 stars

Didn't really like the combination of rap and blues. Neither the rapping or the blues was very interesting honestly.

LMFAO

Not my cup of tea. Can't stand this guy's raps and rhymes.

Completely ridiculous, maybe one of the worst artist names ever. I enjoyed it….. I’m sorry

The music is not bad but I hate G. Love.

i was gonna keep this album to be my 1001st album but it was getting confusing so i listened to it ... and had 0 thoughts but it really wasnt that bad, kinda fun but also the kinda thing you see at the transac on a wednesday night at 9pm and not usually the kind of music i would expect to be recorded, listened to and considered hahahaha

It's OK... Gets pretty boring after awhile. Am thinking about cold beverages now though.

didnt listen all the way so idek

3/14, 21%

the poor man's Beck. or Soul Coughing. or Morphine. honestly, i can't even judge this on the basis of class or anything. G. Love is superficial, unnecessary in the company of his peers. his Special Sauce backing band is fine, but his rapping is god awful, and omnipresent across all the tracks. just nothing but posturing and an assumed "coolness" that feels wholly unearned, because the guy's name is G. Love and his backing band is fucking called Special Sauce. at three tracks it's a little grating, six tracks in it's acrid, and by track 12 i am desperately watching the clock, waiting for a reprieve or maybe my internet to go out. "This Ain't Living" is a passable oasis in the middle of an otherwise dull and infuriating desert of slacker raps about food, living the easy life in Philly, and being a sexy boy, rowr. i feel like i pissed my pants and i have to walk all the way home for an hour to get a fresh pair. i feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. i'm tired. i don't even know why this is on the list. did the British music press go utterly gaga over G. Love and Special Sauce exclusively? everyone else who was involved in the H.O.R.D.E. festival -- i presume this is why it's in the "1001 Albums" book -- i could definitely recognize, but these guys didn't enter my radar until this same list recommended it to my friend Azzy. maybe they were good live? who knows? i need a drink. and new pants.

Wank, and yes I selected that word specifically

3.0 - Ok

Never heard of these guys so I read the Wikipedia summary. I wasn't sure I would dig rapping over blues but somehow they make it work. Good album.

An amazing sound for the summer, I can't believe G Love has been playing my whole life. I expected there to be more harmonica and twang, but this was a nice balance for a debut. Absolutely stuck around college crowds at the period and brought the new blues back at a time of grunge and pop

"Baby's Got Sauce" but they don't. Some of the songs give me the same feeling as drinking spoiled milk after waking up with a tequila hangover. The album ends up being a compilation of good song ideas wasted. I'm giving it 2 stars because I admit I found myself dancing to "Cold Drinks" and "Shooting Hoops", and these guys seem to be having a lot of fun recording this, so it's worth it. It's the kind of thing I'd play with my friends while we knock back a few beers.

Background music in a pseudo intellectuals basement while you're getting talked at about bob dylan. Ask me how I know.

This was sooo bad, I am starting to really question who's choosing some of these albums? DNF, Would not relisten.

They define themselves as "sloppy" and I can see that. This album wasn't anything special, but I don't agree with all the hate. The lyrics are mediocre and pretty juvenile. It feels like he was high in a basement and just started writing random things (I feel like there is a pattern with a lot of famous musicians!) and then his friends, who are mildly talented put the beat and guitar to it, and poof it became decent! I like the guitar and drums, I enjoy the blues, jazzy, rock sounds they create. Musically it almost makes me think of Phish, they blended different sounds to make a very unique 90's sound. I won't be buying the album but I am not embarrassed to say I danced along to many of the songs (only to laugh out loud at the lyrics).

Too much sauce and not enough "special". I think the concept of rapping over jazz guitar, upright bass, and drums is interesting, but not the way they do it. Basically I don't think they are very good musicians. There were very few moments when I thought "oh hey that was a cool riff" or "that was an interesting change". And wuzzup with that accent? Brother please, you from Philly.

The longer this went on, the more I questioned if this is just one big joke and I’m not in on it. It’s Kidz Bop Rap made for cocky 12 year old white boys who just got their first bottle of Axe Body Spray. Musically I don’t mind it and in parts good, but G. Love ‘s voice is annoying enough to want to punch him in the face for trying to be something he isn’t: a good rapper. I wouldn’t doubt that he HAS been punched for making this album He sounds like he’s just trying to make a joke of the entire genre. Thumbs way down.

I've known of G. Love & Special Sauce for a long time, but I've never sought them out to see what they're all about. I kind of recognized Cold Beverage, but all else was new. Cool vibes for sure, but it's mildly annoying when it sounds too sloppy. It sometimes gives an air of not trying very hard. Not hating on it though, it was still fun.

The main thing that hurts this album is its length. If it was 10-15 minutes shorter, I think it would be much easier to digest and not wear out its welcome quite so much. This is the type of album that I like to come up on this list, because it's not really something I may revisit but is just a nice change from my normal stuff.

This is a hit. Big fan here, glad I heard it

Sloppy silly and fun. Really unique and enjoyable sound.

Took me two listens to decide that I didn’t hate it. It’s got that 90s hip hop feel to it, but it feels very improv and the singer just keeps repeating a lyric cuz he can’t think of anything else to say. You really get the idea after the first few songs. Snare sounds like shit.

Probably 3ish? I'm torn. It's too long but I don't hate any of it.

First track: ooh, I remember this from back in the day, think I quite liked it at the time. Second track: why is the man still singing in that silly, mannered voice? Third track: this is going to be a looooong album. I also hope John Lee Hooker got paid for the tune to 'Town To Town'.

Favorite Track: My Baby’s Got Sauce

Love this dude

This is like if jack white reimagined the white stripes with a groovier drummer, a jazz bassist, and jack just started rapping. God, the rapping. What is the need? Garrett Dutton (I'm not calling him G. Love) attempts to infuse his songs with a sense of swagger that bridges blues rock and hip hop, but end result is clunky and often unlikable. Instrumentally, a fine album. Vocals basically make the whole thing bad.

Not bad to listen to overall but way to long. Standout song Some Peoples Like That

Another fine album, passed me by without any major standouts, but a great vibe nonetheless.

Rap-rock but not done as well as the Fun Lovin’ Criminals album I had earlier. It was ok.

Reasonably good

Ok

I hadn’t heard of G Love before, not had I heard of his Special Sauce. To me, this sounded quite a lot like Fun Lovin’ Criminals, like a sort of apathetic alt rock fused together with hip hop. To be fair, I didn’t know that there were other bands that sounded like that. I didn’t quite enjoy this, but it would be a stretch to say that it captivated me. I think I’ll probably remember the band name better than the music itself, but it was still a fairly fun listen.

Varsin passelia musisointia ja kappaleita. Pari rallia jäänee soittoon, muuten sopii taustalle soimaan mainiosti.

I am going a 3, but would say more like 3.5. Could have been 4, if had limited the album to the 9-10 good songs on the long album. The basketball song was solid.

Preferably a couple less songs but overall 👍🏼

I really waffled between a 2 and a 3 but I'll be generous I suppose. I really liked the overall vibe and the instruments. The guitar sounded great, drums and bass sounded very jazzy and laidback. But the dude's vocals. Holy cow they were awful. If you gave this below a 3 I would understand and would not argue I'm just in a good mood cause I'm about to leave for spring break 😁.

it started out interesting-was enjoying the stripped down, unpolished, garage sound. then after 5 or 6 tracks, they all kinda blended together. lot of the same beat & mumbling vocals. like "Cold Beverage"-do we need a whole song repeating you like cold beverages??

Great tunes, very enjoyable album.

Is this album a joke? The grooves are fantastic but the put on accent is ridiculous.

Quite enjoyable but didn’t really get hooked in at any stage. Might listen again sometime.

Rather boring.

Never heard of these guys. Initially I was enjoying the sloppy vibe and Joe Strummer style singing but after about 6 or 7 tracks in I thought I was listening to the same song over and over again! I also used to play the drums back in the day and although I wasn’t very good I knew more than one beat! This ain’t living isn’t bad though.

Klinkt als Shaggy en OMC, maar dan minder cool. Dit was zo fucking raar en niet raar als in Ween raar is ofzo. Raar en slecht eigenlijk. 0.0 (maar ja, dat gaat niet)

It’s cool that somebody tried this sound but I dont like the execution too much

Inte så bra men roligt att lyssna på

Another album I forgot was an album of the day because of the similarities to my regular scheduled listening.

interesting album, i really liked the first song but it went down hill from there, still not bad

not my cup of tea. Like a jazzy light rock jam

Kind of a bland combo of blues, jazz, and hip hop. Combines the three but loses the best parts of all of them. There's some moments that are solid laid back music, but no way this belongs on this list there's people who have done that vibe way better.

Sounds a lot like Beck. Kind of a bluesy alt/rock. Garbage Man is a good song. Don't care much for the rap-like vocal sections. The middle of this album sucks. The end is garbage too. I take back my earlier comments aside from Garbage Man is good. This is bordering 1 star which I rarely hand out but I can't quite do it.

Honestly, I think I like the name better than the music.

Not bad but giving off sublime vibes which is kind of a turn off

It sounds as if someone just discovered Garage band and just started playing with instrumental pre-sets and dusted off old slam poetry. I have a headache halfway through this album.... why do you do this to me?

Hold the sauce please.

Some songs are cool. Never heard of this band sounds like a modern indie band. but 1994 is awesome

I had What's Going On several albums back, and while listening to This Ain't Living all I could do was wish I was listening to Marvin sing those words instead [Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)]. I have to be honest. I hated every minute of this. Something about it is just so phony to me. I mean - take a snippet from This Ain't Living: "This morning bird sounding sweet / Though I sleep on the streets / I have a feeling I'm free / From society's hand picked hypocrisy" coming from the guy who went to private school and definitely seems to have led a privileged life. I'm not trying to make a broad assessment of his character, but I like to justify my lowest ratings. And this is one of many reasons this album didn't hit for me. I can't even choose one standout to add to my playlist. This meets all my criteria for a 1 star album.

neatminta

Hate it. I think he only half raps because he has a shitty voice. Again, I question this as an "influential" album. I know this list is put together but music critics...and I don't think much of the title "critic".

Like the instrumentals hate the vocals

Will be cooler music without the rap

Tries to be original with rock, folk, etc. influences, but at the end of the day, this is just Hip Hop. 1.5/5

This band is like Dollar Store Beck. This is the kind of blues rock pseudo hip hop music that could be found on every university radio station ever in the 90's/00's. That's not to say that it is necessarily bad, just mediocre at best. Do I need to listen to this album before I croak.... No. Has this sound been done hundreds of times before by more qualified acts.... Yes. Am I angry that I listened to this... Not necessarily, but it doesn't belong on this list, that's for sure G. Love should have stopped the record around the 40 minute mark.... The last three songs on the record aren't great, but the rest of the album isn't terrible. Favourite songs: Cold Beverage, Garbage Man, Fatman, Blues Music, This Ain't Living, Eyes Have Miles, Shooting Hoops, Baby's Got Sauce Least favourite songs: Some Peoples Like That, Town to Town, I Love You 4/5

Boring and monotone

relaxed, und genau in der einfachheit der instrumentierung interessant...

Cooler Rap mit grossartiger Percussion

Mischung aus Blues und Rap Gefällt mir sehr gut!

Never heard of this artist outside of the context of this list, which rarely happens. Its inclusion here is a real head-scratcher. It just sounds like a bunch of random dudes who get together on sundays to play music together and book the occasional bar gig. Did this have any impact when it came out? It certainly didn't have any *lasting* impact.

Really good album. Great find.

1.75

I remember when their single was a hit everywhere. I didn't really understand why back then, and listening to this garbage again has only reinforced my assessment: this is absolute garbage. This verges on offensive stereotyping of authentic speech patterns in disenfranchised communities. This why guy trying to sound black is super cringe.

This is bad and I couldn't finish it. 1/5

Thoughts before listening: I'm pretty surprised that G Love is on here. He has just always seemed like fun party music without a ton of substance. I like G Love well enough, having seen him live a few times, but I never thought of him as being someone that would make a list like this one. Review: Bluesy backing music with white boy rapping that comes off as a frat band version of Beck. It's a pretty silly premise, but also one that was very popular at parties when I was in college. I don't hate this album, but it probably doesn't need to be on this list. "Baby's Got Sauce" and "Cold Beverage" are pure nostalgia. 3-stars

All the genres should point to a greatly enjoyable record here, but all I can come away with is a general sense of... mundanity. It’s the sort of thing you’d see in a charity shop and say “hey, this is a pretty good album”, before setting it back down again, with clearly no intention of owning it. Who cares if you own G. Love and Special Sauce’s self-titled debut, anyway? Who even are those guys? Those guys, it turns out, can manufacture a nice sound throughout the hour that they give themselves. And that’s just about all. It’s a nice enough record. Something that’d be used as a donor for sampling something more impressive.

Enjoyed this! Can totally hear why it was a hit on college radio, love that vibe.

Not bad but quite samey. First song is the best.

i REALLY like the instrumentals. not really a fan of the vocals but i can tolerate it. i will come back to this in the future. OH MY GOD I JUST READ THE GLOBAL REVIEWS YALL ARENT HEARING WHAT IM HEARING THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE

all of it sounds the same and it’s far from good enough for it to be good nonetheless, i have no idea how i finished this x

an interesting concept. blues music with a hip hop vocalist. but the lyrics are nonsensical and redundant. swing and a miss.

I kinda dug this.

Brzmi to jak gość, który wbił na jam session. W najlepszym i najgorszym tego zwrotu znaczeniu. Czułam dym i alkohol. 6.5/10 równane w dół.

Bit contrived

It’s actually not as bad as I was expecting. The type of music they played on repeat in What Everyone Wants. Wouldn’t listen again but feeling reasonably generous.

There's nothing intellectual in this at all, but I really enjoyed it and it's a fun listen

Not nipping this shite in the bud is the reason we have Cage the Elephant. Don’t let white people try jazz

Everything about this album feels inorganic and unfortunately designed by committee. I don’t understand who this album was made for? It’s not catchy, it’s not groovy, and it’s mostly just awkward and uncomfortable to listen to. The vocal style is so forced and weird. The lyrics are asinine and poorly written. The guitar playing, drumming, and all the other instrumentation is lazy and predictable. This is not something I hope to ever listen to again.

This is what Beck must sound like if you hate Beck. Had to listen in intervals because it was so irritating. No thank you. 3/10

Irritant om een heel album van te horen, te matig op veel vlakke

Good 90s music. Reminds me of Beck's music also from the 90s. Never heard of this band before. I think is kinda ok now. My teenager self in the 90s would have hated this.

A surprise but not surprising. Brings me back to my jack johnson days

Here is the self-titled debut album for G. Love and Special Sauce, a group known for its laid-back fusion of blues, hip-hop, rock, and soul. These guys seemed like they achieved their dream of working the Massachusetts clubs and bars to the point where they got a record deal and found success. Decades later though, I can't help but feel like this still has the problems typical with a debut. For sure, I had fun with a fair amount of these tracks, but my enjoyment was primarily from track five "Baby's Got Sauce" through track eleven "Shooting Hoops" when the tempo is faster and frontman Garrett Dutton aka G. Love has to rap at the same speed. It's not that these guys don't play well on their instruments, but the lyrical content is more in focus when the compositions are slow and loose. This brings me to the feeling that G. Love thinks he's cooler and smarter than how he raps, whether it's the name check of notable blues musicians on "Blues Music", the blasé attempts at wooing a girl on "Garbage Man", or the basic observations made on "Some Peoples Like That". These lyrics read more like first drafts. Even when it's more energetic, they can bring someone else in like Jasper in the second verse of "This Ain't Living" and the guy will have a more commanding flow than G. Love does on his own song. Also throughout my listen to this album, I couldn't help but be reminded of another laid-back 90s rap-rock group with a similar cadence - Sublime. The fact that these guys made it onto the list and not Sublime is a strikingly odd choice, given the latter group's lasting longevity in popular culture stemming from their more vibrant incorporations of ska and reggae. I could tune to an FM classic rock radio station and have a better chance of hearing "Santeria", "Wrong Way" or "What I Got" than I would for "Baby's Got Sauce" or "Cold Beverage" even if they're good singles. Again, this is a debut album from a group that showed potential, and I'm sure they've refined their rap/blues fusion over the following decades. But as far as a "list of albums to listen to before you die" goes, I would have chosen a different one.

This is not a good album, for crying out loud. Why is it in this list? 🥴

I did not like this. The white dude bluesy thing makes me uncomfortable.

After reading the reviews I wasn’t expecting much but I REALLY liked this. It reminded me of a summer afternoon. Maybe it’s the gen x in me but excellent album.

Jeg tog den berømte ja-hat på og syntes egentlig ikke det var slemt. Ikke essentielt, og det rammer min irritationsnerve at den er næsten en time lang - hvis den havde været et kvarter kortere havde det nok været 3/5

Synes rappen var ret cringe men resten fungerede sgu egentlig ret godt. Der er en del rap til gengæld. Stor 2er.

First half was actually a pretty fun spin on blues and rap. I liked a lot of the songs.. But the album felt frontloaded and lost steam (and my interest) in the end.

Poor man's Beck

Nobody can convince me that this album deserves its place on this list. There's just no way.

Beck if he was falling in a staircase.

not for me

Never heared of them before. Here and then some nice tunes but in total nothing to convince me. Especially the vocals are not my favour.

I was really enjoying the first song until he opened his mouth Terrible vocals. The songs quickly went south - presumably as the band got higher/drunker while recording It ended up becoming a jam session and this guy mumbling his improv Would have been much better as an instrumental album 2 ⭐️

not a fan

Imagine a Red Hot Chili Peppers of blues. Then make it a bit worse. G. Hate. (⌐◉︵◉)

One of the worst vocal deliveries I’ve ever heard. Maybe the worst album on the list so far. Low energy Beastie Boys. Sublime, if Bradley Nowell had never smoked a cigarette. I hate this. Let us never speak of it again.

Favorite track: Rhyme for the Summertime

It's a fun blues album that doesn't take itself too seriously. I like it.

I gotta say this is a better than average record. I'm biased as I'm from Philly and this guy is kind of a 90s Philly legend. Cold Beverages was a banger here and he has a song about the 76ers NBA team that fans of both love.

Not a genre for me

Couldn't finish this. Like the white stripes minus any charisma

Fine for what it was but there was a degree of smugness to it that I didn’t like.

Sounds like an album he made in his home basement for the girl he liked. She didn’t respond well.

Funky af

Это просто очень плохо. Если я попаду в ад, они будут пытать меня этим.

Good album

Interesting music. Gets a little repetitve, I wish they'd have tried different meloidies and styles, but still fun to listen to.

I’m the complete opposite of a saucier, more of a “no sauce on my combo rice, please” kind of person.

January 9th, 2024 G. Love walked so G Eazy could walk HL: "Blues Music", "This Ain't Living", "Town to Town"

Interesting

like a lazy Beck

i just like the 90s man idk

peak 90s

I felt like I didn't need to be listening to constipated singing/rapping/yapping? for an hour today. Then I listened to this album and now I know that my feelings were correct.

Oddly satisfying.

meökein cpnepctyal TDSOTM settiä.. mutta onkin vain samaa biisä putkeen...

What? What even is this? Come on list, you're better than this. You're gonna include a dime-a-dozen 90s hip hop/rock record that almost no one remembers? Why not Sublime if you're gonna do this? I find it hard to believe that anyone in the world thinks this album is necessary to hear before death. Honestly, this is pretty close to my lowest opinion on any record on the list so far. Maybe I'm just having a bad day, but come on. There are just way too many better albums in the world.

This album affixed me with a perpetual stank face during its duration; not in an "oooh, this shit goes hard" kind of way, but rather an "oooh nooo, this shit is simultaneously setting both blues AND hip hop back decades...turn it off, TURN IT OFF" kind of way.

Heard before

G. Love & Special Sauce somehow sounds exactly as I imagined they would despite never hearing them before. Back in college, several acquaintances and coworkers with more "questionable" musical taste were big fans (I remember one of them being super excited to go seem them live) but somehow I knew deep down that I shouldn't pursue (even if that was as simple as queuing up an Audiogalaxy download back then). Considering what "slacker rock" was in 1994, the year this was released: Mellow Gold, Bee Thousand, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, etc., this is the smarmiest, try-hard stuff I've listened to all the way through. I can only imagine this is influential, since there's no other reason for it to be on the list. I'm happy to remain blissfully unaware of what it spawned either way.

Jerk

The drums are awesome. A mix of The White Stripes and Sublime.

Good but turns into the same song over and over

Rating: 7.5/10 A unique mix of hip-hop, blues, and rock that definitely got back later into the album.

Ah that was a great Summer. Great album.,

Dabbling in a lot of genre and it didn’t help them.

Reminds me of Sublime

I’m really not a fan of jam bands, and the guy’s singing makes it seem like he doesn’t want to be here. But the lyrics are the low point, profoundly dumb themes addressed in profoundly artless ways. I will say that they come across as reasonably fun, laid back people. I don’t think any of the other bands I’ve rated a 1 give the impression of having a sense of humor.

"This makes me feel better about giving Limp Bizkit three stars." - Me to L. Yeah this sucked.

Честно говоря, ну так себе. Когда понимаешь, что это за фрукт, становится не очень интересно (а это происходит на четвертой минуте из целого часа музыки...). Звучит как Бек, но если бы Бек делал одно и то же всю свою карьеру. Лучшая песня - Blues Music.

I liked some aspects of this album, but the sloppy singing/ playing style began to grate before the end was reached. I feel like it might be worth 3 stars, but only barely.

Not for me but i understand why this would be popular

I've never heard anything like this and I'll have to come back to it

Its like Sublime and Amy Winehouse smashed together but with extra blues. I wasn’t in college in 90s but I can only imagine this was everywhere. If in the mood for 90s this 100% has a place in the playlist. 7/10

I would rather drink my own Special Sauce than listen to this again. this has to be a joke like the inclusion of Kid Rock?

Decent - became very beckesque which was a good thing

Not great. 2/5

90s Philly vibing.

This opening track is amazing from the get go. I was familiar with the third album, but not this one. I really like this album.

A successful blend of blues rock and hip hop.

Nothing special

4/10

I love G. Love and Special Sauce! It's a cool modern take on blues music. But despite loving it so much, it seems out of place on this list.

Interesting album, though I’m not be a huge fan of the rapping style, I liked some other aspects like the use of the double bass and jazzy bass lines.

At first I was pretty into this. Thought it was funky and fun but by the end I felt it got a bit samey and lost steam. Thought the singer sounded like Jack Johnson.

I know these two because they are friends with Jack Johnson and appear on a few of his things and visa versa. I generally liked the album. I think it's a style that you either like or loath to be honest and I quite like it.

L’album le plus 90s que j’ai entendu depuis un moment

Yeah I think Beck must have liked this record while he was making Odelay. Except he had the bright idea of combining this style with some actual tunes. 4 tracks in I can tell this record is too long. There isn't enough variety. Nothing is bad per se, but it's not great either. It's very loose.

3.5 Love the laid back atmosphere and groove on this album. It had been years since I've listened to it. Don't get all the harsh reviews. I like cold beverages too! 🍻

Not my fave G.Love album but it’s still a fun one. Nice and dancey but the lyrics get a little goofy at times.

fine

My dad listened to a lot of G Love and similar artists when I was growing up, so I was excited to see this one come up. While it lacks the depth of some other artists/projects that come from the same vein as G Love, I really loved the way he infused elements of jazz into this album. If you even somewhat enjoyed this album/were intrigued by it, then you should check out artists like OAR, Dispatch, and JJ Grey/Mofro. 3/5.

eh, grungey but not my kind of thing

A couple of good songs, but a bit mediocre overall. I quite liked their collaborations with Jack Johnson. On their own, they're missing something.

Pretty varied, one or two hits

Not bad actually. Pleasantly surprised. Super listenable. Not a single skip and a lot of songs I really like including Baby’s Got Sauce. Rap infused with a groovy beat poetry sound.

Ik moest even wennen aan de rare stem, maar eigenlijk is dit best lekkere crossover van rap en rauwe blues, met veel vette percussie.

Normaal haat ik die luie zang. En helemaal verantwoorden voor mijzelf, waarom ik het nu wel fijn vind, lukt me nu niet. In elk geval voelt het echt en past de zang bij de relaxtere muziek. Het heeft iets van de Fun Lovin' Criminals, maar dan met wat minder power-uitschieters. Prima plaatje.

Ik dacht dus dat ik wel eens van de naam gehoord had via Eric, maar die ontkent in alle toonaarden. Het is wel 'rielekste muziek', zou wel in zijn straatje moeten passen. Maar dan zal het wel via Dunnen zijn ofzo. Het zit een beetje in de hoek van Fun Lovin Criminals, Everlast. Ik vind dit heel chill om te luisteren, een lui gitaartje, luie zang. Alsof ze lekker met elkaar aan het jammen zijn, maar niks hoeft, alles mag. Bluesy met een hiphopvibe. Hele fijne crossover. Ik zou er bijna een 5 voor kunnen geven, maar het mist nog net dat hitje. Want de 'hitjes' die er op staan, komen me eigenlijk ook maar vaag bekend voor.

I liked the instrumentals here, but the vocal really turned me off. It was the accent/delivery rather than the voice. It's somewhat reminiscent of Beck, but Beck managed it without being annoying.

So chill, love it.

Sparsely played blues rock A janky, posturing flow That works, but barely

I love Flava Flav. He's fantastic. Tom Waits is phenomenal. But this album, where Flava Flav recorded a tribute album to the sounds of Tom Waits, is pure garbage.

Some decent parts but pretty pedestrian as a whole

Really liked!

Some of the songs had an interesting hook, musically. The problem is that each song is the same four bars repeated over and over with no variation. And then comes the vocals: repetitive in sound, sloppy, and uninteresting. This album was boring.

I have never really paid much attention to this band, despite having heard of them. I really liked the three piece / trio arrangement in the band, and I REALLY enjoyed listening to the bassist and drummer who are obviously jazz musicians play a unique take on... whatever you call this. I was surprised I liked this as much as I did. I'll for sure add this album and more from the band to my own collection

Honestly pretty interesting and unique.

Did not expect to see G Love on this list.

First off G Love & Special Sauce is a wild ass name LMAOOOOOO Dudes were like "how many euphemisms for splooge can I put in a stage name" (am I even allowed to say that on this site? meh I guess we'll find out) Engaging with the actual a Quality of the music, it's an interesting on the surface blend of hip-hop, blues and jazz-rock sensibilities. Like Everlast if his main audience was music critics and not suburban dads balding in their 30s. It's unfortunate that despite all attempts to sound sophisticated and volatile due to this genre combination, it still sounds sappy and predictable. It's ultimately another inclusion that dates this book tremendously, a product of the mid-90s destined to be forgotten except by those who do this challenge. Many such cases! 4/10

I don't get this. It's trying to achieve the same super chill and weird vibe that Beck had achieved during the same time period. But nothing here was all that catchy. I'm down for weird. But you also have to mix in some solid tracks. This felt almost empty.

Surprised but pleased to find this on the list. Not heard it for years. Awesome, distinctive sound. Maybe a bit less varied in scope than some of their later albums.

-whatever this is, it is so very Philadelphia-core. I will forever appreciate that -now as for the actual music itself… has some fun moments but overall not super fun. I do like the blues/rap influence, it gave it a unique feel. But few of the songs stood out too strongly to me and more or less melted together honestly -Favorites are Blues Music, Baby’s Got Sauce, and This Ain’t Living

1 - even the most popular one just hurts, honestly the wrong time period to be producing music like this--no excuse

could i write poetry to this? n

Meh.

All style no substance

I've always thought this band was just OK. Probably would be cool to hear in a small venue, listening at home, it gets very samey-samey.

6.5/10

I didn’t hate this as much as Joe, but I never need to listen to it again

I liked this. Decent songs and general vibe, reminded me at times of Beck or Arrested Development. 3.5 rounded down to 3 so Joe will keep me on his Xmas card list.

I didn’t know Stoned College Roommates of America got to lobby for spots on this list

Could I get a cold beverage? I need some leverage It's sweaty outside, some lemonade would be nice Or a Sprite from the drive-thru at B.K. Yo, I'll buy a girl a drink, but girl's got to pay On the front porch, yeah, I got some iced tea If you'd like a taste of tea, then come along with me Summertime is steamin', don't give me no bug juice Grab some ice and a dash of vermouth It's martini time, yeah, yeah, feeling golden Bring your own beverage, just make sure it's cold Enough said, really. This is a great album. 5/5

A good album, I liked Blues Music.

This album is not for me, it sounded very samey and long which made me bored of it.

Sounds like a German group. Laid back or overbored?

One is always surprised to enjoy this as much as one does, but it's critical to remember that this came out long before a bunch of tiresome adjacent acts (from the White Stripes to Jack Johnson to white rappers generally) embraced this for inspiration. This was early in the DIY revolution, which one didn't necessarily love, given one's trust in experts generally. Not terrible, but will get increasingly less above average as time goes by, one fears.

Very chill album, reminded me of Beck in the best ways

lmao why is this here

No, thank you

I don't know what the special sauce is, but it's pretty bland. 'Walk To Slide' and 'Shooting Hoops' I could probably add to a playlist, but anything more than that and I would just be so bored. It sounds like it's trying so hard to be cool, and maybe it is to the right person. Maybe it was cooler in the 90's. I have nothing against mixing genres of music together to create something unique, but unfortunately it's a mix of blues, jazz and rap. All of which I'm not particularly fond of so this was never going to be a good album for me.

g. love and special sauce is the name of a college radio duo who got stuck with the 4AM timeslot, which is probably where this belongs

On the first bars of the first track I was prepared to write off this album as a dismal mess. However - there's something about it that seems to come from nowhere. I'm not sure I could describe it as good as much as compelling. It makes you want to hear more, see where it's going to next. I should probably come back to this at a later date and give it another go. There is an obvious love shown for the influences here, in a way that almost makes you think that the G is short for "genuine"..

This album holds a special place in my heart because my dad and brother used to listen to it and I still have their copy on CD. I never liked it that much, but ok re-listening I think I can see what the appeal is. To a point.

Heard worse but really not for me

I FUCKING LOVE RIMSHOTS 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣 God damn this album is fucking cool. The blues/rap fusion is genius and I'm shocked it didn't become the standard. It's a match made in heaven

This bored me and tbh that is really all I have to say about it

I enjoy blues. I’m ok with stoner rock. I can tolerate some non-vulgar hip hop. But I realized I’m not a fan when those three genres combine.

I can't believe all the low ratings for this album. This is really a gem. Unique style and just a fun time. Nothing too deep, just singing about stuff he likes: Blues Music, Cold Beverage, Shooting Hoops, etc. No need to think too hard about it, just bob your head and enjoy.

I guess this is the album that inspired millions of white college freshmen to rap over their acoustic guitars at open mikes. I can’t ever forgive that.

Ii remember when this came out and Cool Beverage got a fair amount of airplay. The album is okay. Playful mix of blues/jazz/rap. A lesser version of Soul Coughing.

I feel my review is unfair, and that I should try to review this album on its own merits instead of comparing it to others, but I just felt like this was a knock-off Soul Coughing.

Imagine the Red Hot Chili Peppers without any musicianship or songwriting ability. And then make it a bit worse than that.

Bluesy, folksy, groovy. I'm okay with it. Easy background music. 3+.

this shit is genuinely repulsive to me

sure

на любителя

Did not care for this genre of music nor the musician's style. Not a fan of hip-hop fused with jazz.

Album 576 of 1001 G. Love & Special Sauce - G. Love & Special Sauce (1994) Rating : 2 / 5 While Hip-Hop Blues sounds like an interesting concept, it doesn't really work here.

Never heard of this before but I actually like it! Sounds like a mixture of RHCP & White Stripes.

This is dire. This is an album I am meant to listen to before I die? Why? If anything it’s making me want to meet my demise quicker 🫠

Love and special sauce, terrible name with music on equal level. What the hell happened to the sound of that drums? Does the singer know the words to his own songs? Does anything make sense in here? Interestingly bad album, once in a lifetime experience.

Never heard of this band before, but trying to give them a fair shot. I can see why they were popular on college radio at the time, and they have a couple decent songs (Blues Music and Cold Beverage), but overall they are a bit cringe. Less interesting than what Beck was doing around the same time, and not as fun as the Fun Lovin' Criminals. Musically, the rhythm section is quite good, but the singer just sounds like a stoned guy at a house party trying to imitate the Beastie Boys. They actually remind me a bit of Gomez, who did a much better take on this style later in the 90s. Hope their debut is in this list somewhere.

Simpatico, buon sottofondo 3.5

Maybe im not hearing him

extremely horrifying combination of name and genres, but the actual listening experience was not repulsive thankfully lol, even mostly good id say. a lot of it comes from the wide and respectable spread of sample choices, which combined with the efforts of the rhythm section lend some good swing that elevates g love's slacker rock white rapper thing. upon hearing the first song i was wondering whether this was an inspiration for (or rip off of) beck, but mellow gold came out the same year. even soul coughing's debut came out the same year!! where the hell did all these guys come from. g love's gotta be the weakest of these three (the record overstays its welcome, which reveals the limitations of his style), but it would be a mistake to Totally dismiss this out of hand

4/5

Bluesy. Pretty boring and long. Thought this would be a band but it seems like one dude.

No ty

3/10 - It was bad and boring. The songs all sounded the same and unenjoyable.

Got annoying real quick

the band is killer, sometimes the vocals kill it a bit though way too long for what it is

This was fine. It very much sounds like something from the 90's. 3.0

Without besmirching their skill and talent, is this really real? GLove and Special Sauce? C'mon, for real? :)

shite

Sublime at home

Meh 1 star

A couple good songs.

There was no special sauce to be found

This isn't bad but I feel like it's partially responsible for a lot of dumb shit we allowed to get popular in the last 20-30 years, like Fun Lovin' Criminals, Dave Matthews, Kid Rock, Cage the Elephant, and some of the less good early Beck records.

This stinks, it blows my mind that the guy who I watch perform in the heat at 3 in the afternoon at mid tier jam fests has an album on this list. How many albums does Keller Williams have on here while were at it!

Instrumentaalilevynä tälle olisi ropissut pari tähteä lisää.

Just so 90s. Sort of like kid rock x sublime? Way too long.

A bluesy, folk melange withg a touch of hip hop on top.

Reminds me of Beck and lots of other 90's fusions of rock and hip-hop. It sounds like Citizen Cope may have been influenced by this type of music. I don't really think it was anything special though and think Rage Against the Machine does a better job of fusing these two genres.

No love for this G from me

awesome stuff

Did not know them. They are chilled, imprecise but in a way that it works. I like a lot how the drums are mixed. Haha, that snare …

I don't know, I can't seem to find enough interest in this album to actually review it. The music is fine, and it's well produced. I don't really care for the vocals, but they aren't horrible. I think my issue is that everything seems to develop slowly, so I just end up getting bored every time I put on a song. Nevermind, the longer I listen to this, the more I dislike the vocals. Somewhere between crooning and rapping is crapping, and that's what he is doing with his vocals 3/5 This album would be better as an instrumental

Each track I was hoping for an instrumental. Each time they ruined it by signing. The music is enjoyable blues-jazz. The vocals had me twitching for the skip button.

I'll admit total bias. I lived in Cambridge MA for a while and used to go to the Plough and Stars, a local watering hole, and these guys played in the area quite a bit, would hang out at the bar before and after their sets. Fun music, great people.

I got way more into this the further it went on. You see a bunch of highly upvoted 1 star reviews calling it cringe, and then you hear those kind of drawling vocals coming in, and you do start to wonder. I thought I'd be more annoyed by them, but actually I'm not that much. After a while I kind of got into the vibe of what he was doing. I like the laid back, casual flow of this album with those nice bass lines running through it. I feel like it'd be cool to hate on this kind of thing, but if you actually just go with it then you can have a pretty decent time. 3.5 rounded down.

I really want to like him but this album is just painful.